FACILITATOR

Rebecca (Becky) Trenner represents the firm’s clients in federal and state employment and unemployment tax controversies, with a particular focus on defending the classification of various transportation professionals, such as transportation equipment owner-operators and freight agents, as independent contractors. 

Trenner defends transportation industry clients in disputes including state agency efforts to reclassify independent contractor owner-operators as a motor carrier’s employees for unemployment benefit claim and unemployment taxation purposes, federal and state employment tax inquiries involving independent contractor reclassification, state agency attempts to reclassify independent contractor owner-operators as employees for workers’ compensation purposes and state unemployment tax successor liability and State Unemployment Tax Act (SUTA) rate manipulation (i.e. SUTA dumping) investigations and appeals.

Internally, Trenner serves as the firm’s Associate Development Partner, responsible for facilitating, supporting, and guiding our associate attorneys’ training and professional development.

Madeleine Baker works with transportation companies on a variety of issues involving logistics and motor carrier transportation contracts and independent contractor issues.

Baker regularly assists clients on matters involving analysis and audit of independent contractor program documents and practices, analysis and compliance with the Federal Leasing Regulations, counsel regarding motor carrier and logistics operations and other commercial business dealings and draft and review of various transportation-related contracts, including motor carrier services contracts, logistics services contracts, and independent contractor agreements.

Shannon Cohen primarily practices in emerging technologies, independent contractor issues, and legislative services. Cohen focuses on forthcoming and active legislation and regulation pertaining to issues affecting motor carriers, particularly on legislation touching on the independent contractor status of owner-operators. She has extensive experience counseling clients on owner-operator programs and issues attendant to the design of a successful owner-operator model. These services include drafting and revising legislation, assessing and communicating the impact of such legislation on the trucking industry and drafting and reviewing independent contractor and other transportation agreements.

Cohen also serves in several internal leadership roles within the Firm including Scopelitis Law Firm General Counsel, DEI Committee Co-Chairs, serving on the Firm’s technology, hiring, and ethics committees, Summer Law Clerk Program Co-Leader and Firm Management Committee Member.

Shannon has also been a featured speaker on these topics to industry stakeholders and associations.

Colleen McCoy’s practice focuses on trial court litigation involving truck accidents and insurance defense litigation. She has trial experience in both federal and state courts. 

McCoy has assisted individuals and business entities in bringing and defending against lawsuits, negotiating settlements, and preparing for mediation and trials.

Caroline Milner’s practice is primarily devoted to defending corporate clients in complex litigation matters in state and federal courts across the country. Her work includes warehouse claims, labor and employment issues, personal injury cases, contract disputes, and general business litigation.

Milner has defended companies across the country in matters including drafting, reviewing, and negotiating warehouse and transportation-related contracts, warehouse product damage claims, enforcing the warehouseman’s lien, wage and hour claims, employment/wrongful discharge claims, discrimination claims, and personal injury claims.

She is an active speaker and presenter and has participated in seminars on various topics affecting the warehouse industry. Milner also assisted in drafting and updating the standard terms and conditions used across the warehouse industry.